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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29848488">Dinner Nights</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAnOffalyGirl/pseuds/JustAnOffalyGirl'>JustAnOffalyGirl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>OneChicago Tumblr Prompts [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Chicago Fire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Sylvie's an insecure lil bumblebee and we love her, angsty, tumblr prompt fill</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:13:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>917</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29848488</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAnOffalyGirl/pseuds/JustAnOffalyGirl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Matt's started a regular Thursday night dinner with his Mom. Sylvie's insecurity gets the better of her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sylvie Brett/Matthew Casey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>OneChicago Tumblr Prompts [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2193621</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>52</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Dinner Nights</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is one of my Tumblr prompts, come <a href="https://justanoffalygirl.tumblr.com">join the fun and read them when they're posted!</a> Based on Angst Prompt 11: "Are you ashamed of me?"</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sylvie watched as Matt finished tying his tie, shrugging on his suit jacket. He was getting dressed up for dinner with his Mom and her new boyfriend, and he kissed her as he walked out.</p><p>The evening passed quietly, with HGTV on in the background and Sylvie baking cookies. She ate them for dinner, chilling out in front of the couch. The house always felt a little bit too big for the two of them, but when she was there on her own she stayed in the living room or in their bedroom mostly.</p><p>It was nearly midnight, and she gave up hope of seeing him again that night and went to bed alone.</p><p>The next couple of months passed in similar formats, the Thursday nights they weren’t on shift he’d go out to meet his Mom and David. Sylvie was left hearing about the nights, the food they’d get and the different restaurants they visited. Matt ended up talking about Christie and Violet appearing at dinners, and that spark of inferiority bloomed into full five alarm fire as he brought them up. But every Thursday they weren’t on shift, she’d watch as he’d get dressed up and she watched him leave. Stella and Mackey were getting fed up of the baked goods she’d provide on Fridays or Saturdays, but the rest of the house was enjoying them.</p><p>Another one went past, and Matt was home before midnight this time, and he curled up behind her in the bed, wrapping his arms around her.</p><p>“Missed you,” he whispered, kissing behind her ear. Sylvie had been wide awake, but kept her eyes closed, pretending to wake up as he kissed her.</p><p>“Mmm, missed you too. Sleep now though,” she murmured, turning onto her stomach with his arm wrapped around her.</p><p>They woke up to the sound of the five thirty alarm going off, Sylvie groggy from lack of sleep. She’d stayed awake for most of the night, listening to Matt’s soft snores as he slept soundly. That five alarm fire of insecurity was all over her, and she couldn’t relax for worry.</p><p>She went on autopilot for the morning, making their coffee and grabbing a yogurt out of the fridge. Before Matt had even finished dressing she was on her second mug of coffee, hoping the caffeine would kick in soon. He wrapped his arms around her as she drank, nuzzling into her with his fresh shaven face.</p><p>“Missed you the last couple of days, feels like we haven’t seen each other at all.” She leaned into his touch, relaxing into him.</p><p>“Yeah, we’ve been busy. After shift tomorrow, we can get breakfast?” His kiss was an immediate response, and they grabbed their bags to get ready for the shift.</p><p>Sylvie’s mood didn’t improve with the shift, and she got puked on twice. Boden gave her the go ahead to wear a Candidate tee while hers were in the wash, and they got called into another call. It was constant, and by the time third shift arrived in she was fit for nothing except her bed. But she and Matt had made plans, so she got herself ready and into the cab of his truck when they went to breakfast.</p><p>She picked at her pancakes, not noticing Matt’s frown as he watched her. She’d barely finished half of them when she put her fork down and put it away.</p><p>“What’s wrong, ‘Vie?” He asked, staring at her. She looked at him, watching as he looked intently at her.</p><p>She took a deep breath, swallowing before speaking. “Are you ashamed of me?” She asked quietly, feeling like she was going to get sick. She didn’t look at him until his fingers lifted up her chin, making her look into his eyes.</p><p>“I could never, ever be ashamed of you, Sylvie. What made you think I was?” He asked, keeping her chin lifted so she couldn’t look away.</p><p>“It’s been a couple of months, you’re having those weekly dinners with your Mom, David, even Christie’s coming to them. But I haven’t met any of them yet. Are you ashamed that I don’t want more than to be a paramedic or something? Or is this not real to you like it is to me?” Tears came down her face, and she wiped them away, hating that she was crying.</p><p>“God, no. Nothing like that. These dinners…I go because my Mom expects me to. She wants to pretend that everything’s fine and she didn’t do what she did and her kids love her. So I suck it up and I go, and I smile and eat awful food at these horrible places, when really I just want to be home with you on the couch. We’re real. We’re good. But 51 is my family, they’re just the people I lived with as a kid. The only one I’d introduce you to is my sister anyway, you don’t deserve the rest of them.” His larger hand encompassed her smaller one, squeezing tightly. “Let’s go home. I wanna call Christie, get her to come over for dinner tonight. She’s vegan, but we’ll order in. Sound good?”</p><p>Sylvie gave a watery nod and stood. Once they got through the narrow diner Matt wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her tightly. They stayed like that till they got to the truck, and even in the truck he held onto her, another reminder that they were there and they were strong and they were them.</p>
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